


Of Knights And Faeries

by ihatethisbluewebsite



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fey!Caduceus, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Knight!Fjord, M/M, Medium Burn, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Pining, Prince!Caleb, Prince!Mollymauk, i don't know how to write a slowburn so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 05:47:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26348098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihatethisbluewebsite/pseuds/ihatethisbluewebsite
Summary: After centuries of war, the tender peace between the kingdoms of Exandria and Xhorhas is kept through the tradition of the Exchange, where every five years an of-age Prince, Princess, or Princex from both kingdoms travels to live in the other.This cycle, Prince Widogast in the realm of Zadash and Prince Clay in the realm of Rosohna are chosen for the Exchange. For Prince Clay, this is an opportunity to make new friends and have new experiences. For Prince Widogast, this is finally the chance to escape from the clutches of Archmage Wizard Trent Ikithon. Both Princes are unprepared, however, for those they'll meet in their new homes...Or: I have FjorClay brain rot
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett/Yasha (Background), Caduceus Clay/Fjord, Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 48
Kudos: 125





	1. Of Introductions and New Beginnings

Fjord Stone, Knight in the realm of Zadash, wiped the sweat from his brow with a grim smile. He flicked the visor of his helmet down to fully cover his face and steadied his falchion. His opponent sneered back at him, holding their bo staff loosely. Fjord ran through several silent calculations as he adjusted his grip on his sword and dropped his shoulder. Fjord braced his left foot behind him before pushing off and lifting his falchion in a large arc above his head, aiming straight for his opponent. They brought their own weapon up and absorbed the blow from Fjord’s blade. With a sharp twist, Fjord’s opponent broke the Knight’s grip on his sword and silence fell as it skittered to the ground and out of reach. Solid wood pressed against the side of Fjord’s neck and he swallowed thickly. Fjord could see his opponent pull their lips back in a mocking smile as they reached up with one hand to push their own visor back. “Fuckin’ _gotcha_ , dude,” Beauregard Lionett, Captain of the Guard, said as she dropped her bo staff from Fjord’s neck and took a step back. 

Beau and Fjord examined each other for a long moment before clasping their right arms together and laughing. “How do you manage to kick my ass every time?” Fjord asked as he shook his head, lips pulled back in a smile that concealed his broken tusks. There was a ruddy flush to his green skin and sweat glistened on his forehead. Beau jammed her staff into the dirt of the training arena and leaned against it with a smirk. Beau, it should be noted, had hardly broken a sweat. Fjord bent down to pick his falchion up and groaned under his breath as his muscles protested the action. 

“You need to work out more, dude. You should take laps with us in the morning.” Fjord grimaced at the thought of either working out even more than he already did or the concept of running in general- it was probably both. Fjord looked at the sky and gauged how late in the morning it was and let out a string of curses under his breath as he realized that his match with Beau would make him late for his meeting with Prince Sabian and Prince Caleb. Fjord tossed Beau his sword, calling out a goodbye as he ripped his helmet off and turned to run back towards the castle, Beau’s laughter following him all the way out of the training arena and through his shortcut to the gardens. He debated the pros and cons of taking the time to rinse himself off, as he was most likely very flushed and sweaty looking. Considering the events of today, Fjord decided that a nicer presentation that would make him more late would be more appreciated than him showing up sweaty, gross, _and_ late. 

Fjord ducked behind a large hedge and stood face-to-face with a well concealed, steam-heated pool set into beautiful rock in the ground. The gardener of the castle, Vandran, had shown Fjord all of the wonderful secrets the gardens of Castle Zadash held before he’d passed, and Fjord was forever grateful for the tutelage and friendship the old man had given him. Fjord yanked a golden chord, and a flow of warm water rushed from a well concealed spout in the break of the hedge surrounding the pool. Fjord stripped quickly and jumped underneath the spray, washing the dust and grime off his body in a perfunctory manner. One cleaned and quickly dried off using a towel he had stashed in a concealed trunk, Fjord ran as fast as he was able towards the castle, ducking through secret passages in the gardens and shortcuts through the halls of the castle until he skidded to a halt in front of the main meeting room of the castle. Fjord schooled his expression and then walked into the room.

Prince Caleb, Prince Sabian, and Archmage Wizard Trent Ikithon all turned their heads to look at Fjord with varying degrees of emotion as he walked into the room and took a seat at the corner of the long table. Prince Caleb looked relieved to see the Knight, Prince Sabian looked disgusted and scornful, and Master Ikithon looked at Fjord with thinly veiled contempt and hatred. Master Ikithon looked at _everyone_ with thinly veiled contempt and consternation, so Fjord did not take this reaction to heart. Fjord sent a subtle wink towards Prince Caleb and smiled to himself when the Prince seemed to relax slightly. Fjord liked the shy and halting Prince. Prince Sabian turned back to face Master Ikithon and ignored Fjord, which suited the Knight just fine. Master Iktithon’s nostrils flared at the brief interruption before he reigned back his expression.

“Thank you for finally joining us, Knight Stone,” Fjord had heard that name thrown at him with contempt so many times he’d grown a thick enough skin that it ceased to bother him. He wasn’t a child growing up in the shadow of a brilliant, blonde Prince anymore. Fjord was a Knight in the realm of Zadash in the kingdom of Exandria, and he had things he could be proud of. Being looked down upon by Prince Sabian and Master Ikithon failed to get under his skin now. Fjord flashed Master Ikithon a sarcastic smile, showing off his tusks just to bother the man, and waved the Archmage Wizard to continue. Caleb coughed into his fist to hide his small chuckle before he paled under Ikithon’s glare. Caleb’s response to the Archmage Wizard always raised Fjord’s hackles, but Caleb had never opened up to him before and Fjord was unsure how hard to push with the Prince. Ikithon flicked a nonexistent spec of dust off his robes and continued, “As you all know, the tender peace between Xhorhas and Exandria has relied upon the exchange of royalty for the past five decades. Zadash is due for their fey Prince, who is arriving within the week. Prince Widogast is to leave today for Rosohna in return. Knight Stone, the crown requires your… _skill_ in acting as guard for the fey Prince Clay for the foreseeable future.”

Fjord blinked at the Archmage Wizard’s words. Of course, everyone in Exandria had grown up with stories of the centuries-long wars between Exandria and the fey lands of Xhorhas, how only five decades ago peace was brokered and the Exchange was created. The idea behind the Exchange was to blend the cultures of the two lands, and sow the seeds of friendship between them. Once every five years, an of-age Prince, Princess, or Princex in each land travelled to live in the other. The Exchange did not always end in a marriage between the residing royalty and the incoming one, but it was a fairly common occurrence. The various Realms and Kingdoms cycled for each turn in both Exandria and Rosohna, and Fjord had known that this cycle was Zadash’s turn. What Fjord was surprised about was the requirement for a guard for the incoming fey Prince. Fjord had never heard of that happening before. 

“Respectfully, your Archmage-ship,” Master Ikithon’s face twisted in dislike at the butchering of his title, but otherwise allowed Fjord to speak, “are you expecting trouble from the fey Prince? I can’t remember a time a guard was required for someone from the Exchange.” Fjord looked at Prince Caleb and Prince Sabian from the corner of his eye. Caleb was worrying his bottom lip between his teeth and looked as confused and shocked by this news as the Knight. Prince Sabian was trying to conceal a self-satisfied smirk, but Fjord didn’t know if that was due to his becoming a royal babysitter or if it was for another, more nefarious reason. Fjord would not put it past the Prince. For perhaps the millionth time, Fjord wished Prince Sabian was the one being sent to the fey, and not Prince Caleb. 

Master Ikithon’s smile was predatory, “Oh, we hope Prince Clay will not be any trouble. Your required skill in this matter is simply an... _extra_ precaution. For the benefit of the fey Prince, of course.” Fjord nodded his head in benign acquiescence, thoroughly unconvinced by Master Ikithon’s words.

What kind of person was Prince Clay going to be- that the Archmage Wizard felt it necessary for him to have constant supervision?

\----------

Prince Caduceus Clay, firbolg fey Prince of the Realm of Rosohna in the kingdom of Xhorhas, was trying very hard not to cry as he held a large suitcase in one hand. 

Princess Clarabella Clay had her thin, wiry arm wrapped around her older brother and small face pressed into his stomach. Her long ears were twitching sadly as she begged him not to go. Caduceus ran his hands through her long, stringy hair. “Did you dye this again, Clarabella?” Caduceus asked mildly, mostly as a distraction for his little sister. Clarabella nodded her head, but refused to release her older brother. Caduceus looked up and made eye contact with Prince Colton and mouthed “ _help_ ” over and over again until his brother gently disentangled Clarabella from Caduceus. Caduceus knelt down so he was eye-level with his young sister and cupped her cheek, “Hey now. There’s no need for this,” Caduceus wiped an errant tear from the Princess’s face, “we’ll still be able to see each other, Clara, you know that. This isn’t the end of anything and who knows? Maybe you’ll like Prince Widogast. Maybe he’s a very kind man.”

Princess Clarabella rubbed one of her eyes and said, “Yeah, _right_! He's the reason you’re leaving, Caduceus, of course I’m not going to like him. Even if he is cool and helps me catch those really pretty beetles in the gardens.” Clarabella punctuated her point by crossing her arms in front of her chest to which Caduceus laughed. He ruffled his little sister’s hair and stood up to his full height, hefting his suitcase as he went. 

“Prince Widogast isn’t the reason I’m leaving for Zadash, but you know that, Clarabella. The Exchange is an important part of the peace between Xhorhas and Exandria,” Caduceus tucked a bent finger under Clarabella’s chin and gently lifted her head so she could look him in the eye, “I’ll miss you, you know that, yeah?” Clarabella nodded her head and wiped away a stray tear with a fist. “Good. Now I’ve got to go, Aunt Corrin’s here so we’ve got to leave. I love you, little Princess.” Clarabella gave Caduceus one last tight hug before she grabbed Colton’s hand and dashed out of sight.

Prince Caduceus looked down into the smiling and lined face of his aunt. “Come on, you big sap, let’s get moving. The faster we move, the less we have to sleep on the road,” Corrin grumbled as she reached a hand up to brush a tear away from Caduceus’s face.

Caduceus chucked and followed his aunt out of the front gates of Castle Rosohna and into the carriage that would take him to his new home. “I don’t really mind sleeping under the stars, Aunt Corrin.” Corrin snorted indelicately as her long ears twitched in amusement.

“That’s because you’re not old yet, little Prince. Once your bones ache like mine do, basking in the Wildmother’s presence takes place in a softer area than the hard dirt.” Caduceus laughed at that and looked out his window. He spotted Prince Mollymauk on his balcony, watching the procession leave. Cad stuck his head out of the window of the ornate carriage and waved goodbye. Caduceus could hear Molly’s light laughter from where he rode away, and watched the tiefling lift a dramatic hand and give a mocking “princely wave” in response. Corrin grabbed Caduceus' shoulder and hauled him fully back into the carriage, muttering under her breath about “proper decorum”. Caduceus simply smiled at his aunt and bussed her cheek.

Prince Mollymauk Tealeaf watched his friend and cousin leave for Exandria as long as he could. Once the carriages were out of sight he turned back towards his large, ornate living space with a small twitch of his tail. Knight Yasha Nydoorin, Mollymauk’s personal guard and absolute best friend, looked down at the purple tiefling and saw through his display of unaffected joviality. She opened her arms silently, and Molly willingly allowed himself to be enveloped in a hug. “I’m going to miss him, charm,” he murmured into her neck and Yasha gave Molly a comforting squeeze.

“We should go, Molly,” Yasha murmured into the tiefling’s curly purple hair, “you need to be in the throne room when Prince Widogast arrives.” Molly pulled back from Yasha and plastered on a bullshit grin, winking up at the aasimar fey and flouncing out of the room. Yasha walked a half-step behind Prince Mollymauk as they both made their way to the throne room. It wasn’t everyday that Rosohna got a human Prince, and Mollymauk had been volunteered to be his guide while the Prince adjusted. Molly wouldn’t miss the excitement for the world.

Molly quietly walked up and stood behind the Bright Queen of Rosohna, next to Archmage Wizard Essek, on the large dias that held the thrones. Mollymauk had chosen his most ridiculously elaborate outfit (“for the _occasion_!” he’d cried when Yasha had lifted an eyebrow at his ensemble) and was the sole source of most of the color in the throne room. He wore knee-high leather boots that were covered in gold embroidery and buckles down the side, a deep blue fitted tunic befitting a Prince, and a long maroon cape that was covered in so much ostentatious embroidery and beading that if anyone but the lavender tiefling wore it, it would be tacky. Essek, as a contrast next to Molly, wore an elaborate mantle and robes of deep purple and black. 

Molly worked to not fidget in either boredom or anticipation of the arrival of Prince Widogast. He carefully curled his tail around his ankle and kept his hands locked behind his back. Molly saw Essek smile approvingly at Molly’s rare use of decorum out of the corner of his eye, and really- what was Molly _supposed_ to do, other than unwrap his tail from around his leg and flip the back of the Archmage Wizard’s mantle over his head? He was _asking_ for it, Molly reasoned, and who was he to deny the Archmage anything? Molly was saved from scolding by the announcement of Prince Widogast of the Realm of Zadash in the land of Exandria’s imminent arrival.

Molly bared his teeth in a mischievous grin as the Teleportation Circle specifically created for the arrival of the Exandrian Prince lit up and Molly got his first look at Prince Widogast himself. The Prince was taller than Mollymauk by a few inches, with ginger hair that brushed his shoulders. He wore simple royal garb of a rather plain grey color but he had a deep blue scarf wrapped around his neck. Molly saw Prince Caleb’s hands twitch at his sides, and Molly would put gold down that the Prince was trying to not fidget with his scarf. All in all, Prince Caleb Widogast was rather handsome, but unassuming. He seemed shy, like he’d retreated inwards from himself.

When Prince Caleb lifted his eyes, they immediately landed on the brightest thing in the room- Prince Mollymauk. Prince Caleb had brilliant blue eyes, and a pang went through the fey’s heart when he saw how _haunted_ Prince Caleb looked. Molly wondered idly if the look in Caleb’s eyes was because of what he was arriving towards, or what he was walking away from. Molly hoped it was the latter (although he wished, deep down, that it was neither) because that would make everything about the human’s new situation easier to work with.

Prince Caleb stayed silent throughout the introductions, hands cemented to his side and only fidgeting occasionally. He bowed deeply, first to the Bright Queen who inclined her head benignly at him, and then to Prince Mollymauk, who winked and gave a little curtsy. Caleb found his eyes straying over to the tiefling fey again and again during the proceedings. He was so bright- so colorful. Caleb knew how he must look in comparison, but there was an unexplainable gravitational pull Caleb felt that Mollymauk had. Caleb felt rather like a moth drawn to a flame by simply being in the same room as the other Prince. Molly caught Caleb looking over at him once, and gave the human a small smirk and a wink before schooling his expression back into casual disinterest to the discussions between the Bright Queen and the representative from Zadash. Caleb felt his cheeks heat and he directed his eyes downward.

When Caleb heard the Bright Queen call Prince Mollymauk forward and inform himself that the tiefling was to be his guide while he adjusted to life in Rosohna, his eyes snapped upward to meet pupiless scarlet. Caleb wasn’t entirely sure, as it was hard to gauze with nothing but sea of red to go off of, but he thought that Mollymauk looked pleased and amused. Prince Caleb bowed deeply to the Bright Queen once more as she dismissed him and gave him leave to go to his rooms or explore the castle to his heart’s content. Mollymauk flounced down off the large dias the thrones sat upon and made his way towards Prince Caleb, who was saying goodbye to his retinue and stepping away from the Transportation Circle.

Molly frowned as he realized that the human Prince was alone- that Zadash had not sent any Knights to accompany Caleb, or even a few workers. Mollymauk caught Yasha’s mismatched gaze and noticed her troubled look as well- meaning he wasn’t the only one to catch it. Neither the Bright Queen, nor Archmage Essek commented on this so it was either a nonissue or something they had previous knowledge of. Mollymauk could not remember a time when someone taking part in the Exchange was left alone.

Molly tucked that piece of knowledge away for a later time as he came to stand in front of Prince Caleb. He bowed deeply- perhaps too deep, and it came off as a little mocking, but Molly looked up at Caleb from under long purple lashes and stuck his tongue out at the other Prince before straightening upwards and offering his arm. Caleb looked as if he was concealing a smile at Mollymauk’s antics as he would his thin arm through Molly’s. Mollymauk made a note of how skinny the human was, and decided that he’d just have to make sure Caleb ate enough. Molly kept his tail firmly coiled around his leg as he walked Prince Caleb towards his sleeping quarters. Yasha pushed off the wall she’d been leaning against and followed a few paces behind.

“So, Prince Widogast-” Caleb winced at the honorific and Molly squeezed the arm he held with a small smile, “Prince Caleb, then? I can show you to your sleeping chambers and then I am absolutely famished, I don’t know about you. Would you want to know where the kitchens are?” Caleb opened his mouth, but nothing came out so he snapped it closed with a faint blush. Caleb nodded his head mutely. Molly found he rather liked the human blushing. He hummed and guided Prince Caleb up several flights of stairs and down a long corridor. “Excellent, Prince Caleb. I’ve found that if you sneak into the kitchens at night, they leave the _good_ cakes and sandwiches in the ice chest,” Molly leaned into Prince Caleb and whispered conspiritorily. Caleb stiffened at the contact but did not pull away from Mollymauk. Molly pulled himself back out of Caleb’s personal space and noted the slight tension release in the human’s shoulders. 

Mollymauk stopped in front of a large, ornate door with an overdramatic flourish of his arm. Caleb rolled his lips inwards as if he was swallowing the urge to laugh before managing to get his facial expression back in order. Molly gave the human’s arm one last squeeze before dropping it and pushing open the door to Prince Caleb’s chambers. If the fey hadn’t wrapped his tail around his right leg, it would have been twitching nervously in anticipation of Prince Caleb’s reaction to the room. Mollymauk had been the one to help design it, after all.

Prince Caleb walked fully into the middle of the room and spun in a slow circle. The walls of the chambers had been painted to resemble cosy wooden bookshelves and the crystal lamps set into the walls glowed with a soft, amber light. The bed was one of the largest he’d ever seen, as his own back in his rooms in Zadash was not nearly as fancy. There were more pillows on the bed than Caleb thought even the five people that the piece of furniture could fit would need and the blankets and quilts and comforters piled on top of the thick mattress all looked like the highest quality. There was a large fireplace at the other end of the room, with two absolutely monstrous and comfortable looking chairs on top of a plush rug. There was another small door leading off into what Caleb assumed were his private baths. The entire chambers were done in shades of sapphire and deep grey. It was beautiful, it was incredible, and it was more than Caleb had ever had in Zadash. He had absolutely no idea what to do with it all.

Prince Caleb looked at Prince Mollymauk a little wide-eyed, and the fey bounced on the balls of his heels. “Fancy, right? I asked around about what you liked, but all I could find out is that you like books. Wait until you see your baths, though, they’re divine.” Molly took in the rigid set to Caleb’s shoulders and the slight look of overwhelmed panic on his face and deflated slightly. “Why don’t I leave you to unpack, Prince Caleb, and I’ll come back in, say, an hour? To take you to the kitchens,” Molly asked cautiously. Caleb blinked at the offer and slowly, smiled his first genuine smile of the day. Mollymauk didn’t want to think too deeply about how it lit up the entirety of the human’s face or how handsome he looked when he smiled. Molly simply returned the smile with a grin of his own before leaving the Prince to unpack and be alone.

Molly hesitated on the threshold of the door to Caleb’s chambers when the human hesitantly called out, “Ah… um, _danke_ \- thank you, Prince Mollymauk. Th-thank you.” Molly beamed at Caleb to cover his surprise at the human’s soft Zemnian accent. That was, of course, the _only_ reaction Molly had to Prince Caleb’s accent. The _only_ one. Molly’s tail twitched around his leg.

“It’s Molly to my friends, and we’re friends now- aren’t we?” Molly held his breath, glad that he hadn’t sounded _too_ sincere in asking the human. Caleb’s smile turned soft and a little hopeful.

  
“ _Ja_ , Prince Molly, we are friends now.”


	2. Of Apprehension and Chocolate Chip Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out, I am the actual worst at chapter titles?
> 
> Fjord is apprehensive about the fey Prince's arrival and Mollymauk shows Caleb around Castle Rosohna.

Fjord was laid out on the hard-packed dirt of the training arena, panning, and out-of-breath. Beau dumped a small cup of cold water on his head which made him sit upright, sputtering. Beau cackled as she plopped down next to the half-orc with a smile and a nudge to his shoulder. Beau stared into the middle distance as she turned the cup over and over in her hands. “I get what you’re saying, Fjord, but I don’t know what we can do about it, y’ know? Suspicion is one thing, and I hate that little shit-heel as much as the next guy but I don’t see how a- a _protection detail_ for the fey Prince is a bad thing.”

Fjord dug the nails of his right hand into the ground and picked at a rock buried there. He sighed, frustrated, “I don’t know. I just know Prince Sabian was entirely too pleased about my being assigned babysitting duty and as far as I can tell, this hasn’t happened before. No Knight has ever been assigned to guard a Prince of the Exchange. Anything that pleases Sabian, in my experience, isn’t a good thing.” Fjord pried the stone out of the ground and looked at it bitterly before he chucked it over his shoulder without a backward glance. Beau crossed her arms and rested them on her bent knees. 

“There’s, what, three days until Prince Clay gets here? We can, I dunno, ask around, try and see why Master Icky thought it was so important to have you babysit him.” Fjord snorted out a laugh at Beau’s nickname for the Archmage Wizard. Jester Lavorre, a blue tiefling who worked as the head cook in Castle Zadash, had come up with the name originally after a disastrous meal involving a multi-layered cake. The moniker “Icky Thong” was not the least foul thing Fjord’s friend had said about the Archmage that night, not that Fjord blamed Jester at all. The man really did give him the heebie-jeebies. 

“You don’t have to, Beau, I know you’re busy. It’s just- It’s something I’d want to keep an eye on, I suppose.”

Beau rested her chin on her crossed arms and looked at Fjord thoughtfully, “Your hunches are usually right, and I’m not that fuckin’ busy- you know that. I don’t even know what my job entitles half the time, it’s great.”

Fjord laughed and laid back down, “How did you end up Captain of the Guard, again?”

“Grit and grace, Knight Fjord, grit, and fuckin’ grace.” Beau and Fjord’s laughter filled the training arena at the woman’s complete bullshit. 

Fjord stayed out in the training arena, hidden from responsibilities for as long as he could. Once the brilliant sun started to sink below the tree line, Fjord flowed to his feet and clasped Beau on the back before heading in the direction of the gardens. Fjord wandered through the beautifully trimmed hedges surrounded by vibrant flowers until he came to a little clearing. The hedges and trees dropped away to reveal a large meadow filled with large, pink blossoms that swayed gently in the light breeze. Fjord laid down, on his back, and stared up at the darkening sky. A warm wind filled the small clearing and wrapped around Fjord like a hug. Whenever Fjord came to this part of the gardens, and simply existed alongside nature, he felt as if a kind presence was watching over him. Fjord sighed, “What do I do?” The wind seemed to press further into Fjord’s skin and felt almost like the hug of a mother who is unsure how to answer her child.

Fjord hoped that Prince Caleb was doing alright in Rosohna.

\----------

Prince Caleb finished placing his few belonging in the ornate dresser in his new rooms and sat on the edge of his bed. Anxiety crawled up this throat and his heart started beating too fast- Caleb could feel it underneath his skin and hear it roar in his ears. Caleb tried to dig his nails into the palm of his hand but the small crescents of pain were ineffective. Caleb stood on shaky legs, stumbled to the door leading into his chambers, and locked it. Turning back to the bed, Caleb didn’t sit in it so much as collapse downwards. Guilt clawed at his throat as he shakily snapped his fingers and a small, Bengal cat appeared, purring and rubbing his head against Caleb’s chest. Caleb counted backward from fifty while methodically petting the cat.

Caleb knew he shouldn’t have summoned his familiar, that it was too dangerous, but as soon as Prince Mollymauk had left, he’d taken all the life and vibrancy out of the beautiful rooms. Suddenly, Caleb had felt so alone- too alone. He was fairly certain of his ability to vanish Frumpkin as soon as he heard anyone approach his room, so no one would be the wiser of his powers. The guilt and anxiety that Caleb felt swirling through him didn’t cease, however. The people of Rosohna had been nothing but kind to him, and while Caleb knew they had no laws against wizard Princes taking part in the Exchange, the fear that he would be sent back to Zadash wrapped its hands around Caleb’s throat until he couldn’t breathe.

Frumpkin dug his claws gently into Caleb’s thigh and between the running his hands over Frumpkin’s stripped back and the small points of discomfort the cat provided with his paws, Caleb felt his breath even out.

Technically, Prince Caleb Widogast should not be here, in Rosohna- or in _Xhorhas-_ at all. Technically. Exandria kept a close watch on any person that showed a provocility to magic, with children being pulled away from their family homes to study under Masters and hone their skill. It was always a great honor to find out that a child possessed magical ability, and it was with pride they sent them away to learn more and grow in power. Those of royal blood (which, if Caleb was being frank, was a long list of people, considering he was a Prince- but _95th_ in line for the throne) who possessed magical talents were forbidden to take part in the Exchange, as Exandria coveted their wizards. 

Once Prince Caleb discovered at a young age his ability to manipulate fire, among other things, he kept it secret and devoured any book on magic he could get his hands on without anyone knowing. Not even his friends back at Castle Zadash were aware of his abilities, as Prince Caleb could not risk the knowledge getting out and his chances of being chosen for the Exchange ruined. Prince Caleb Widogast had been planning since the age of fifteen to escape to Xhorhas, to run from Exandria and more specifically- to run from Archmage Wizards Trent Ikithon. 

Master Ikithon seemed to see something in Prince Caleb despite being ignorant of the young man’s abilities, and as a result, took him under his tutelage. This was widely talked about when it first happened, as Master Ikithon rarely took students under his own private instruction, and for him to do so for one with (seemingly) no magical talents was very strange. This was written off, as the realm of Zadash knew Archmage Wizard Ikithon to be a very strange man.

Caleb Widogast knew him to be a monster.

Prince Caleb continued to sit on his bed, lost in painful memories, until a soft knock on his door startled him back to the present. Caleb quickly vanished Frumpkin and opened the door to reveal Prince Mollymauk on the other side, smiling at him. Caleb swallowed thickly and worked not to blush too deeply at the tiefling. He couldn’t force himself to look Mollymauk in the eye, afraid he’d get lost in a sea of scarlet again, so he kept his gaze focused on the Prince’s collarbone. Prince Mollymauk had taken the time he’d left Prince Caleb alone to change into colorful, embroidered lounge pants and a white shirt that was open down to his navel. Caleb could not help but notice the latticework of crisscrossing scars that littered the fey’s lavender skin.

Prince Mollymauk beamed at his charge and held out his arm again, which Prince Caleb politely linked his arm through, and started walking them towards the kitchens. Caleb’s eyes mapped out every detail of his new home so Mollymauk wouldn’t have to trouble himself with this again. The human’s head quickly darted behind him out of habit and he saw the tall aasimar woman that had followed Prince Mollymauk earlier. Caleb whipped his head back around when she caught him looking and smiled kindly at him. Prince Mollymauk misunderstood Caleb’s jumpiness and gave his arm a squeeze, “That’s Yasha, dar- Prince Caleb, she’s a charm. She is my ‘bodyguard’ according to the crown, but,” Molly placed air quotes around the word bodyguard and shrugged, “she’s my best friend.” Caleb smiled at his feet at Molly’s soft tone. “Did you have any friends back in Zadash?”

Caleb’s smile slowly slipped off his face as he looked into the middle distance. The change in the human’s posture was not lost on either Molly or Yasha. “Ah, friends… That is- I was not-” Caleb stuttered before taking a deep breath and continuing at a slower pace, his words more thought out, “I had- I had people I was fond of, at Castle Zadash but… Friends were not a- a luxury I was afforded…” Caleb continued to look down at his feet, unable to meet Prince Mollymauk’s eyes as he said this. Molly looked at Caleb critically and saw how he had shrunk in on himself, almost as if he was lost in unpleasant memories. Molly patted Caleb’s arm with a warm smile.

“Not afforded?” Molly asked, tone light but free of mockery, “Your Highness, you’re a Prince- surely there is little you could not afford.”

Caleb gave a dry, slightly bitter laugh, “I am one in a long line of succession, Prince Mollymauk, and I was not- it was not… practical for me to be allowed luxuries in- in favor of my… tutelage.” Molly hummed thoughtfully but did not press the human any further. 

“It’s Molly, please, Your Highness. And you’ve got friends here, now, if you want.” Caleb looked up in surprise at Molly’s words, and for a moment he was lost in the tiefling’s eyes again. It felt like the most pleasant form of drowning, to look into twin pools of scarlet red and see only understanding and friendliness from the tiefling. Caleb swallowed thickly before giving Prince Molly a halting smile.

“I will… I will call you Molly if you call me Caleb, then. I am not… fond of the honorifics attached to my station.”

Molly beamed at Caleb and hugged the human’s arm closer to himself. Caleb neither tensed at the motion nor pulled away and Mollymauk didn’t want to think about why that knowledge sent butterflies into his stomach. He came to a stop in front of the kitchens and motioned to them with a dramatic flourish of his free arm, “You have yourself a deal, Caleb. Now, come on- I’m starved.”

Mollymauk pushed open the solid oak door, stained a deep black, that led into the kitchens. The interior of the room was rather standard, as far as Caleb could tell. He had not been allowed to go to the kitchens on his own in Castle Zadash, instead of having to wait for one of the guards posted outside his room to accompany him or wait for mealtimes with Master Ikithon. Mollymauk had spoken about the kitchens as if this was not a rule for Caleb, but the human was hesitant to do anything that would anger anyone in his new home. His experience in Rosohna had been remarkably pleasant so far, but Caleb knew how quickly that could change for the worse.

A short, beautiful woman with brown skin scattered with golden freckles was bent over at the waist and reaching into the large stove oven in the center of the kitchens when Mollymauk herded Caleb inside. She straightened gracefully and gave Molly, Yasha, and Caleb warm smiles. “Your Highnesses, I had not expected your visit quite so soon. The cookies should be ready in a few minutes, but there are sandwiches in the icebox and if you wish for wine, I can fetch some chilled wine from downstairs.” Molly released Caleb’s arm so he could flounce over to the cook and kiss her cheek. She smiled affectionately and patted the top of Molly’s head, which looked a little silly considering the tiefling was taller than her.

“You are an absolute charm, Miss Reani. This is Prince Caleb Widogast- Caleb, this is Reani, the best cook in all of Xhorhas,” Reani rolled her eyes at Molly’s assessment of her. Caleb bowed respectfully and hesitated by a table in the corner of the room. Yasha walked fully into the space and went to an ice chest, removing a small flask with a shy smile directed at the cook. Reani winked at Yasha. Molly bounced on the balls of his heels and leered at Reani playfully. “So, you made cookies for us, Miss Reani?” 

Reani turned back to the oven and removed a sheet of warm chocolate chip cookies, the inviting and sweet smell filling the kitchens. “I knew you would be coming to harass me while I’m working,” Reani winked at Caleb to let him know she was joking, “not that I ever mind the company, of course.” Molly grabbed two cookies, fresh off the sheet, and practically skipped over to Caleb. He held out a cookie to the human with an adorable look of expectation on his face.

“You have to try these, Caleb, they’re divine,” Molly stage whispered, holding the cookie up to the human’s face. Caleb blushed lightly as he leaned down a little and bit into the cookie Molly held up to his mouth, lips just barely brushing the tiefling’s fingers. Caleb stood back up straight and savored the flavor of warm pastry and melted chocolate with a look of pleasure on his face. Molly hastily bit into his own cookie and turned back to Reani and Yasha to hide the purple flush to his cheeks and the tips of his pointed ears. 

“This is amazing, Miss Reani, _Danke-_ I mean, thank you.” 

Reani’s smile almost seemed to make her whole face glow with a radiant light, “Of course, Your Highness. You are welcome to visit my kitchen anytime.” The woman began to start cleaning and Molly, having finished his cookie and swiped three sandwiches from the icebox along with a flask for himself, motioned towards the door with a tilt of his head and a quirk of his eyebrow. Caleb took the hint, nodded, and followed the fey Prince out. Yasha, Molly, and Caleb all waved to Reani as they left with Reani telling Caleb again to stop by whenever he wished. Caleb smiled down at his feet as Mollymauk walked back towards his sleeping quarters. Molly stopped in front of the ornate door that held Caleb’s chambers with a smile. He held out a sandwich to the human who took it hesitantly, a look of confusion in his eyes.

“I know- well, I can guess that this can all be rather overwhelming, Prince Caleb,” Molly said softly, “so I figured you might want a nap, or some time to… process everything. If you need me, just put your hand on the crystal on the little table next to your bed and say my name. I’d be happy to show you around some more, or keep you company.”

Caleb looked down into Molly’s open face and gave the fey a small smile, “ _Ja-_ I mean, yes. I- Thank you, Molly. For everything. I will… see you later?” The smile he got in return, Caleb thought, would put shame to the most brilliant Exandrian sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3


	3. Of Meetings and Buckets of Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Literally how do people come up with good chapter names??  
> Caduceus meets new people. Fjord reminisces. Beau is only a little bit of an ass.

As the day started to wind down, Prince Clay, his Aunt Corrin, and the accompanying retinue stopped for the evening. Aunt Corrin declared she would be sleeping in the carriage, whose seats had the ability to fold out into a large bed that could comfortably fit two people. Prince Caduceus took a sleeping roll and spread it out a little ways away from the carriage (his Aunt snored, and he knew it would be audible even through the thin walls of the carriage) under a large weeping willow tree. He knelt at the edge of his sleeping roll and bowed his head as he prayed to the Wildmother. 

Religion was largely important in Xhorhas, although the Clay family followed a different goddess than most that lived in Rosohana. Caduceus never saw a reason to be shy of his beliefs or feel any associated guilt with the deviation from the norm. The Bright Queen certainly had not made any indication that the Clay family’s worship of the Wildmother was frowned upon by the crown in any way. Caduceus knew he and his family to be a strange bunch, but the comfort he found in his family and the Wildmother’s presence overrode any negative feelings he might have developed. Besides, Caduceus thought as he prayed, being normal is boring. 

Caduceus prayed to the Wildmother to guide him safely to Castle Zadash, and he prayed that he would make new friends and have good experiences in his new home. A silly, childish part of him also prayed to meet someone who could love him and that Caduceus could love back. He knew that if his Aunt could read his thoughts, she’d chastise him about his romantic views, but Caduceus couldn’t help it. He had lived such a sheltered life in Castle Rosohana, and a secret part of his heart longed for someone just and good that he could love, and that would see him and love him back. A warm wind blew through the clearing, swirling around Caduceus comfortingly. When he opened his eyes, pink blooms had burst all across the tree he would be sleeping under, and he blinked up at the flowers blowing in the breeze. Prince Caduceus took that to be a good sign and fell asleep with a soft, hopeful smile on his face.

It was another two days before Prince Caduceus reached Castle Zadash. He sat in his carriage outside the beautifully gilded gates and looked around at the lush gardens that surrounded the towering brickwork of the castle. He hoped he would be allowed to wander through those gardens soon, he wanted to learn every part of them. The gates swung open and his carriage trundled up to the gleaming white front steps of Castle Zadash. Prince Caduceus stepped out of his carriage before turning and giving his aunt a hand out as well. There were several people waiting for them at the top of the steps, and Caduceus smiled benignly as he guided his aunt up the steps.

Prince Caduceus took in the sign of a handsome blonde-haired man, who must be Prince Sabian, as he wore an elaborate gold crown on his head and his clothes were some of the finest Caduceus had ever seen. Next to the other Prince was a tall, old man in Wizard’s robes (Archmage Wizard Ikithon, Caduceus’s memory provided him) and the last person was a half-orc Knight who held his helmet on his hip and smiled brightly at Prince Caduceus, lips firmly wrapped over his tusks. Caduceus returned the Knight’s smile shyly before turning and bowing, first to Prince Sabian who inclined his head but did not relinquish his smirk, and then to Master Ikithon, who simply smiled an off-putting smile at the fey Prince.

“Prince Clay, we are honored by your presence here, Your Highness. May I introduce Prince Sabian,” Prince Sabian smirked harder as Prince Caduceus bowed his head in respect, “and Knight Stone. Knight Stone will be your personal guard while you get accustomed to living here in the castle. Of course, should you need anything, Prince Sabian, or I would be happy to provide.” Caduceus noted the curdling of Prince Sabian’s smile at Master Ikithon’s words, and the small scowl that passed quicker than a cloud over the sun from Knight Stone at his own introduction. Prince Caduceus wasn’t sure what to make of either reaction and filed the knowledge away for later.

Caduceus gestured to his aunt, “This is my Aunt, Lady Corrin.” Corrin curtsied and smiled at Master Ikithon while completely ignoring Prince Sabian. Oh boy, Caduceus thought with a grimace as the fact that she had snubbed the Prince did not go unnoticed by anyone present. Prince Sabian scowled and, with a barely cordial bow of his head, turned and headed into the castle. Knight Stone rolled his lips inward and worked to school his expression back into a blank face. Master Ikithon’s smile morphed into a self-satisfied smirk as he held his arm out for Lady Corrin to take. She did so with a subtle wink to her nephew. 

Knight Stone grinned at Prince Caduceus and gestured towards the castle with a nod of his head. Caduceus fell into step next to him as he guided the Prince towards his sleeping chambers. “You’ll have to forgive Prince Sabian, Your Highness, he’s…” Knight Stone trailed off as he looked for a delicate and respectful way to describe the human Prince. Caduceus chuckled, low and warm.

“He’s an ass?” Prince Caduceus asked with a smile and a wink at Knight Stone’s shocked and partially delighted look.

Knight Stone coughed into his fist as he walked up several flights of stone stairs, “Well… you said it, not me, Your Highness. I grew up with him, you know? He’s… well, he’s always been like that- far as I can remember.” Caduceus hummed in acknowledgment.

“It’s Caduceus, if you don’t mind, Sir Stone. I am not really a fan of titles. I’m really only a Prince because I vaguely have royal blood.” 

Knight Stone looked up at the fey with a little smile, “It’s Fjord. ‘Stone’ is the surname they give to all orphans of Zadash, so you can imagine that I’m not really a fan of it.” Caduceus opened his mouth to apologize but Fjord waved it away, “It’s really alright, you didn’t know and Master Ikithon introduced me that way on purpose. The name is supposed to remind us- orphans, that is- that’s we’ve been cast aside and to remind us of our place in the kingdom.”

“That’s horrible,” Caduceus said with an empathetic frown. Fjord gave the firbolg a half-smile.

“It really is, isn’t it? Fu- I mean, I’m sorry. That’s probably not a very good first impression of Zadash. Most folks aren’t like that, I think it’s probably bad luck that you met the worst two in the first few minutes of you arriving.”

Caduceus chuckled again at that and the sound seemed to roll over and flow through Fjord, who turned his head away so the Prince wouldn’t see the ruddy flush threatening to overtake his face. Prince Caduceus had a very nice laugh. “Was the other one you?” Caduceus asked and nudged Fjord’s shoulder with a smile. Fjord playfully scowled up at the Prince, momentarily forgetting the monumental difference in station between the two of them.

“Careful,  _ Your Highness _ , or I won’t show you my shortcut to the kitchens.” Caduceus laughed outright at the teasing and Fjord could have sworn his heart stuttered when the firbolg turned the full wattage of his smile onto himself. Fjord was helpless and could only smile back into Caduceus’s bright, open face. Fjord did note how skinny the Prince was, and he was almost positive that it wasn’t a fey thing so he made a mental note to try and fill the man out as much as he could. 

All too soon, they arrived at Caduceus’s sleeping chambers. Caduceus was wobbling from the exhaustion of several days of travel but was trying desperately to hide it. He didn’t want Fjord to leave, he was very nice and Caduceus very much liked his company. Fjord pushed the door open and started to point out all the features of Caduceus’s chambers, “Through that door is your baths, over that way is the sitting area- if you need help with the fire, or anything really, just press that crystal on the wall and say my name. Now, you look like you’re about to pass out, so my professional advice is to get a nap, Prince Caduceus.” Fjord smiled up at the fey and brushed aside any objection Caduceus tried to throw his way. “I’m going to be in the training arena, so when you  _ wake up _ ,” Fjord emphasized the words ‘wake up’, “I’d be happy to show you anywhere in the castle you’d like to go. I’m serious, Cad, you really ought to get some shut-eye.”

Pleasant warmth filled Caduceus’s chest at the nickname, but he didn’t point it out because it felt as if Fjord didn’t even know he had said it and Caduceus figured he would probably be embarrassed at the slip in formality. Caduceus acquiesced to Fjord’s prodding and layed down on the large, ornate bed with a stifled yawn. As Fjord left quietly and Caduceus drifted off into sleep, he wondered what he would have to do to get Fjord to call him ‘Cad’ on purpose. He’d have to work on that.

\----------

Beau found Fjord in the training arena with his head stuck in the bucket of ice water they kept by the seating area. “Dude, is there a reason you’re poisoning my water with your gross face?”

Fjord pulled his head out, water pouring down his face. Beau smirked when she saw the blush that the ice hadn’t managed to cool off on Fjord’s cheeks. Fjord groaned and sat down with a  _ whump  _ on the hard-packed dirt of the arena floor. He pulled his knees up and hid his face behind them, arms wrapping around his legs. Beau sat down across from the half-orc and tried to tone down her mischievous grin. Jester would absolutely flip at this, Beau thought with a chuckle.

“I know you’re laughing at me,” Fjord’s voice was muffled by his knees, “and you’re not helping!”

Beau rapped her knuckles on the back of Fjord’s head, who hissed in pain, and asked, “Does your ice bath have anything to do with a seven-foot-tall, pink-haired fey?”

Fjord’s head shot up, blushing harder. “Who told you-  _ Veth _ ,” Fjord hissed, “whose big idea was it to let our armorist study under rogues?” Beau cackled and nudged Fjord’s foot with her own.

“C’mon man, tell me about our new fey Prince,” Beau wiggled her eyebrows at her friend obscenely and took immense pleasure at how much one half-orc could blush. Fjord buried his head back into his knees with a dramatic moan.

“He’s very nice, and-”

“Tall, handsome, too skinny which means you want to get him to eat more, funny because Veth said you were laughing at his jokes, and not like Sabian at all?”

Fjord glared at Beau out of one visible eye, “And a  _ Prince _ . End of story, Beau. My  _ job  _ is to guard him, and that’s all.” He rested his chin on his folded arms and looked into the distance of the training arena, “That’s all I’ll ever be allowed.” Fjord didn’t see the way Beau’s face crumpled slightly at that.

“Fuck, man, I’m- I’m sorry.”

Fjord shook himself a little before turning a false grin that both of them saw through onto Beau, “It’s fine, Beau. Now- do you want to beat me up until I’m one big bruise or not?”

  
Beau grinned and flowed to her feet. She clasped Fjord on the arm and dragged him up, “Fuck, yeah, dude.  _ Fuck  _ yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today, but I promise I'll make it up in the next one!  
> Thank you all for the kudos and kind comments <3


	4. Of Dinners and Pink Mallow Blooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fjord takes a walk through the gardens. Sabian is rude. Caduceus hits his head against a door.

Prince Caduceus woke several hours later, thinking of a handsome half-orc Knight. He laid in his large bed, wondering if calling on him and asking him to walk him around the gardens would be too forward of him. Caduceus was normally very perceptive of other people, but something about Fjord made his mind go blank. Caduceus debated the pros and cons of this for several minutes until his growing loneliness (and desire to be near the Knight) eventually won out. Caduceus went to the baths and took a quick bath in the steam-heated pool, choosing a soap that smelled of sweet citrus, before changing into flowy clothes that were not worn from travel. 

He looked at his reflection in one of the many full-length mirrors in the baths, finger combing his damp hair before he shook himself. “You look nice, Caduceus, and you’ve never been this cautious about your looks before,” he muttered to himself as he left his bathing room and walked over to the crystal affixed to the wall. Caduceus pressed a large hand onto the surface of the crystal and said, “Knight Fjord,” aloud and watched it glow a brilliant green. Caduceus smiled at the familiarity of the crystal system, thankful for at least one comfort that was much like home. A pang shot through Caduceus’s chest at the reminder, and he found himself missing his family more than ever. Perhaps Fjord would also help him find some parchment and tell him where he could send a letter. Clarabelle would love to learn about the handsome Knight who would be acting as Prince Caduceus’s guard for the foreseeable future.

A soft knock on Caduceus’s chamber door started him out of his thoughts and he opened it to a sweatier and more bruised version of Fjord than when the firbolg had last seen him. Caduceus cocked his head to the side. “You’re bleeding,” Caduceus said with a small frown, reaching a hand out to brush away a spot of red on Fjord’s green skin before he reminded himself not to get ahead of himself and left his hand fall back to his side. Fjord smiled and waved away the fey Prince’s concern.

“I was just training, nothing to concern yourself with,” Fjord said breezily but Caduceus frowned harder at that. 

“I want to concern myself, Fjord. Here, let me-” Caduceus looked inward and called upon his gifts from the Wildmother. He felt warm suffuse his palm and gently cupped Fjord’s cheek. Fjord blinked startled eyes up at Caduceus but couldn’t pull away from the touch even if he wanted to (and gods, did he not want to ever pull away). He felt healing magic flow through his body and the bruises on his body fade and skin knit back together. Caduceus gave Fjord a once-over before smiling at him, “There we go. All better.” Caduceus had not moved his hand from Fjord’s face, and Fjord wondered idly if there was another kind of magic at play.

After several moments of the two of them looking into each other’s eyes, Fjord swallowed thickly and carefully dropped his gaze, “Thank you, Caduceus. You- you didn’t need to do that…”

Caduceus’s thumb rubbed against Fjord’s cheek twice before the firbolg gently pulled his hand back, expression soft, “I wanted to, Sir Fjord.” He said it simply, but Fjord sensed that there wasn’t anything simple about the gesture, and he didn’t know what to do with that knowledge. This is probably just how Prince Caduceus is, Fjord thought sadly, it doesn’t mean anything for him- I’m just a Knight and I have a job to do. 

Fjord smiled at Caduceus- a different smile than Caduceus had seen before, a blander smile- and asked, “How can I be of service, Prince Caduceus?” Caduceus kept the disappointment that filled his chest at Fjord’s retreat into himself quiet. He had time, and he and Fjord would be around each other a lot. He would just have to be patient, and Caduceus was very good at being patient. 

“I would love to walk around the gardens, Sir Fjord,” Caduceus noticed how the half-orc brightened considerably at the idea and smiled to himself.

“Of course, Your Hi- ahem, sorry, Prince Caduceus. I would be… honored to show you the gardens.” Fjord turned and waited until he was sure Caduceus was following him before he headed towards a shortcut out of the side of the castle. “I, uh, I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the gardens from the old gardener, Vandran. He… he grew most of what’s out there,” Fjord said the name of the previous gardener softly, and Caduceus heard a hint of grief behind the words.

“He must have been amazing,” Caduceus mused, “if he created what I saw from my carriage. From what I could see, the gardens are beautiful.”

“He was- amazing that is,” Fjord smiled up at Caduceus, thankful the fey had seemed to understand Fjord’s words without the need for elaboration, “and thank you. He would have been honored to hear that from you, Prince Caduceus.” Caduceus bumped Fjord with his shoulder and smiled down at the Knight when he made eye contact with him again. They spent the rest of the walk to the gardens in companionable silence, Caduceus trying to memorize the route Fjord took them.

Fjord showed Caduceus the main route through the gardens, with the Prince stopping every few minutes to ask about a plant that he hadn’t encountered in Xhorhas. After an hour, Fjord started to show the firbolg the secrets that Vandran had shown him. Fjord found himself wanting to impress the Prince and see his face light up in wonder at every new thing he hadn’t experienced before. Caduceus delighted in the secret steam-heated pool hidden behind a tall hedge, and Fjord caught himself studying the Prince’s face- the way his ears flapped in delight or the light that lit up behind his pink eyes. Caduceus had a certain magic about himself when he got lost in nature and Fjord felt lucky to be able to witness it. Part of him wished that Caduceus would look at  _ him  _ with the same kind of wonder he had on his face as he inspected a Pink Mallow bloom, but Fjord knew that would never happen. 

A bell rang out and both Fjord and Caduceus jumped before they looked at each other and laughed. “That’s the dinner bell, c’mon, I can show you a shorter way out of here,” Fjord said as he plucked a Pink Mallow flower and tucked it behind one of Caduceus’s ears. Caduceus beamed at Fjord and followed him back into the castle. Fjord stopped in front of the ornate doors that led into the dining hall, “It’s just through there. You aren’t even late, Your Highness.” Fjord winked at Caduceus, but the fey looked at Fjord confused.

“You aren’t joining us?”

Fjord smiled ruefully up at the Prince with a little chuckle, “I eat in the barracks with the rest of the, uh… lesser staff of the castle,” Caduceus frowned harder and Fjord nudged the taller man gently, “I can meet you here after dinner if you need help finding your way back to your rooms.”

Caduceus didn’t, he remembered the way back to his chambers. “I would like that, Sir Fjord,” Caduceus murmured before he turned and walked into the dining hall. Caduceus’s keen hearing picked up Fjord whispering to himself, “I’d like that, too” and Caduceus had to school his expression to not betray his absolute delight.

Caduceus was ushered into a fancy chair directly across from Prince Sabian while Archmage Wizard Ikithon was sitting catty-corner to the firbolg. Lady Corrin sat stiffly next to her nephew. The silence in the room was almost suffocating and Caduceus didn’t feel a need to break it. He let his thoughts wander to his afternoon with Knight Fjord and wasn’t able to stop his look of happiness even if he wanted to. Caduceus looked up and made eye contact with Prince Sabian and the fey tried for a congenial smile and received a barely concealed sneer in return. Caduceus thought back to his conversation with Fjord, “ _ I grew up with him, you know? He’s… well, he’s always been like that- far as I can remember… _ ”

Caduceus turned his attention to Archmage Wizard Ikithon, “Your grounds are beautiful, Master Ikithon. Thank you for your hospitality so far.” 

The wizard inclined his head with a small smirk, “Of course, Your Highness,” he turned to Caduceus’s aunt, “Lady Corrin, will you be residing permanently in the castle or will you be traveling back to Rosohna?” 

Lady Corrin drummed her long fingers on the table with a slightly mischievous smile, “I will be traveling back to Rosohna once my nephew is settled.” Caduceus turned a brilliant smile onto his aunt, who he knew barely contained her eye roll.

Master Ikithon nodded his head, “Of course, whatever we can provide will be at your disposal, Lady Corrin. Feel free to ask me if you require something.” Aunt Corrin bowed her head in acknowledgment as the food was brought out.

Caduceus blinked up at the woman who served him his first course. She was a bright blue tiefling, but clearly not a fey. She lacked the slight glow beneath her skin that was obvious to other fey and also characteristic to all species. She grinned down at Prince Caduceus as she slid the plate of hors d'oeuvres in front of him, which Caduceus returned. Prince Sabian completely ignored the worker who gave him his meal. Caduceus watched as the Prince picked up a fork and moved some cured meat around without interest. He looked up and caught the other Prince looking at him and bared his teeth at the firbolg in a facsimile of a grin. 

“Prince Caduceus,” Sabian drew out the fey Prince’s name in a manner that was foreboding, “is it true that the fey in Rosohna steal children in the night from families that do not pay their taxes?” Aunt Corrin bristled next to Caduceus and he laid a subtle hand on her leg under the table. He could see Master Ikithon holding his breath as his fork hovered above his own plate. Caduceus swallowed down a chuckle.

“I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from, Your Highness, apart from fireside stories meant to frighten humans into behaving. I would be happy to clear up any further misconceptions you have about my kind.” Prince Caduceus’s tone was light and friendly, but there was a microscopic edge to his tone that was lost on the other Prince but not on the rest of the parties in the room. Caduceus saw out of the corner of his eye, the blue tiefling rolled her lips inward to hide her look of pure glee. Caduceus gave his aunt a squeeze under the table before withdrawing his hand and he was relieved to see Lady Corrin relax and start eating her food.

Prince Sabian slumped back into his chair with a tiny curl of his lip, “Of course,  _ Your Highness _ , I would be delighted to take you up on your offer later.” Caduceus ignored the hiss of his honorific and nodded his head.

“That would be nice,” Caduceus said, secretly delighting in the way the other Prince clenched his jaw.

Five more courses later, and Caduceus was incredibly full and just wanted to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the dining hall desperately. He had been subjected to Prince Sabian’s barely concealed disdain for himself, and perhaps all fey, throughout the course of dinner. As the evening dragged on, Caduceus felt himself slip into daydreams about a handsome, green-skinned Knight instead of a blonde-haired Prince with a near-permanent cruel look in his eye. Aunt Corrin was forced to nudge her nephew under the table several times to drag him from his thoughts and respond to a question directed at him. 

Finally, the dessert dishes were cleared away and Archmage Ikithon pushed his chair back and stood up, “I will bid you all goodnight. If you need anything, your guard Knight Stone will be available to you, Your Highness. Lady Corrin, good night.” Master Ikithon nodded his head in deference to Prince Sabian and exited through a side door in the room. Aunt Corrin was soon to follow, claiming old age and the need for more rest. That left only Prince Sabian and Prince Caduceus left in the large dining hall. The human gave Caduceus a once over before he turned without a word and walked away. Caduceus chuckled to himself as he left through the large front doors of the room.

“I didn’t know Archmage Ikithon was capable of joking, nonetheless being funny,” Knight Fjord’s deep voice shivered down Caduceus’ spine and he turned his head to smile at the half-orc leaning against a wall just outside the dining hall. 

“I don’t think he is very funny. I was laughing because you were right- Prince Sabian is an ass.” Fjord winced in sympathy and opened his mouth to apologize. Caduceus cut him off with another chuckle and started walking towards his rooms, Fjord falling into step beside him, “You don’t need to apologize for his behavior, Sir Fjord, you aren’t responsible for his prejudice against the fey.”

Fjord grimaced, “He really didn’t hide that very well, did he?” Caduceus hummed and shook his head, humor shining behind his pink eyes and ears twitching in amusement. Fjord sighed, “Prince Sabian has… he- well. He has always harbored that prejudice, though I had hoped he would either grow out of it or learn to hide it better in front of others. You aren’t the only thing he hates, though, so maybe there’s comfort in that.”

Caduceus tilted his head down at Fjord, “He hates you, doesn’t he?”

Fjord’s mouth tilted up at the side, “Yeah. I told you we grew up together, but with each growth spurt Prince Sabian became colder, and more calculating. Our… mutual dislike of each other has been my constant companion since childhood.”

Caduceus gently placed a hand on Fjord’s shoulder, causing both of them to come to a halt and the other man to look up into Caduceus’s face, startled, “That’s awful, Sir Fjord. I’m sorry that you have to experience that.” 

Fjord’s smile was soft. “It doesn’t bother me anymore. I’ve done a lot of things to be proud of,” Fjord mused, one hand unconsciously coming up to rest on top of Caduceus’s, “and Prince Sabian or Master Ikithon do not get under my skin anymore.” Caduceus looked down radiantly at the Knight. They both seemed to realize how close they were standing to each other and a ruddy flush stained Fjord’s cheeks as he pulled back from the taller man. Fjord coughed into a fist and started walking again towards Caduceus’s rooms. The fey’s face crumpled behind Fjord’s back before smoothing out again as he followed in step with the Knight. 

They came to a stop in front of the gilded doors to Prince Caduceus’s sleeping chambers and Fjord rubbed his hands on his thighs nervously, “Here you are, Your Hi- Prince Caduceus. If you need anything else, you, uh, you know how to get a hold of me…” Fjord trailed off awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head.

Caduceus nodded his head, “Thank you, Sir Fjord I-” Caduceus looked away, ears twitching in a way Fjord hadn’t seen before, and it was Caduceus’s turn to cough in an embarrassed manner, “Thank you. Have a good night.” Caduceus spun around and escaped to his rooms. He pressed his forehead against the cool wood of the inside of his door and his hearing picked up a soft murmur from the other side.

_ “Good night, my Prince.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kudos and kind comments <3


	5. Of Routines and Picnics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Caleb establishes a routine. Prince Mollymauk annoys Reani. There is a picnic.

Prince Caleb Widogast was a creature of habit. He preferred to wake up at the same time every day, which for others might be a bit tricky, considering that Rosohna was a city plunged in almost perpetual night. He would stand in front of his large window and look out past the dull gray and purple tinted perimeter wall of Castle Rosohna, out onto the rest of the city. He had been fascinated with the sight of the vast metropolis, with its thousands of little green lanterns that lit the stone, metal, and dark clay structures like fireflies. He would then move to the ornate, black desk that sat in his chambers and he would copy spells for two hours. After bathing in his private baths, Caleb would dress in his simple muted clothes and wrap his scarf around his neck. He would avoid looking at himself in the large mirror in his baths. Caleb would use the crystal on his bedside table to call upon Prince Mollymauk.

Prince Mollymauk Tealeaf was not a creature of habit. He woke up whenever he felt like, took luxuriously long baths, and spent most of his days in Castle Rosohna lounging. That was, of course, until he was introduced to a certain ginger human. For the past three weeks, every day like clockwork, Molly’s crystal in his room would light up at the same time and he would bolt from his chambers towards Caleb’s. The first few times it happened, Molly had still been dressed in his sleepwear and he hadn’t yet brushed his curly purple hair. Caleb had blushed to the roots of his hair when he took in the other Prince’s disheveled appearance, and tried to apologize profusely. Molly had waved the human off, as he had worn worse things around Rosohna than silk sleep pants and no shirt. 

Prince Caleb always deferred to Prince Molly for what to do during the day. Caleb felt a little lost without the rigorous itinerary he suffered through in Zadash under Master Ikithon’s iron first. Molly and Caleb spent the first week of the human living in Xhorhas to explore the entire castle thoroughly. Caleb’s perfect memory took every twist and turn that the lavender tiefling took him through to heart, and after the first week Caleb no longer needed Molly to guide him to where the kitchens were. That did not stop the Prince from haltingly asking Mollymauk where anything was. Caleb found himself swallowed by loneliness whenever the colorful tiefling was not around, and Caleb wasn’t sure why. He had never had a problem with isolation before he became part of the Exchange. 

Molly found himself waking up earlier now, so he could bathe and dress and adorn himself with his elaborate horn jewelry. Molly always wanted to look his best, but something about Prince Caleb made him want to preen like a peacock around him. Molly chose his shiniest horn jewelry today, and a beautiful maroon outfit trimmed in gold to match his ludicrous cape. Molly planned to take Prince Caleb into the city today, and while he reminded himself multiple times that it was not a date, he couldn’t help but smear a little gold glitter on his eyes. 

Molly’s crystal on the table by his bed lit up a warm orange, and Molly carefully wrapped his tail around his ankle so as to not give away his excitement and left his chambers. Yasha was waiting for him just outside his door and he bounced over to her. Yasha gave Molly a knowing look after giving her friend a once over, and Molly spun away from her and started walking towards Caleb’s room. Not because he was  _ blushing _ , of course, but because Caleb had called on him. His  _ friend _ , Caleb. Of course. 

Molly rapped his knuckles on the door once and they swung open without any hesitation. Molly’s eyes dragged down Caleb’s form the same time as Caleb gave Molly a once-over. Pink dusted Caleb’s cheeks as he looked from the gold sparkling on Mollymauk’s eyes to his form-fitting and beautiful clothes. Caleb rubbed a hand on the back of his neck self-consciously. He knew he would never be as handsome as the other man, but a small part of him wanted to impress the fey Prince. Just once.

Molly took in Caleb’s still-damp hair that curled at the base of his neck and brilliant blue eyes and he swallowed thickly. He heard Yasha chuckle behind him, which pulled him from his reverie enough to beam at Prince Caleb. “You look amazing as always, dar- Prince Caleb.”

Caleb rolled his eyes at Prince Molly, “I think we both know that is untrue, Prince Molly, but I appreciate it.” Molly snorted at that and looped Caleb’s arm through his own. Caleb had learned quickly how tactile the fey Prince was. He was always hugging or climbing up on Yasha’s shoulder, or linking arms with Caleb. Caleb found that the more he got to know Mollymauk, the less he minded being touched or clung to. 

Molly started steering Caleb towards the kitchens, “I’m starved, Prince Caleb. Shall we sneak into the kitchens and bother Miss Reani? I’d like to avoid the whole mess of an affair the dining hall is.” Caleb hummed in thought.

“I am not very hungry, Prince Molly, but if you would like to do that, I will accompany you.”

Molly bared sharp teeth at the taller man in a pleased grin, “Excellent! Miss Reani is always delighted to see me.”

\----------

“Mollymauk Tealeaf, I swear to Samliel if you do not leave my kitchen right- oh! Prince Caleb, I made breakfast for you. I know that the dining hall can get a little tense, with all the diplomats and political intrigue.”

Caleb blinked in confusion as Reani wielded a large wooden spoon covered in some pastry batter at Mollymauk, who danced out of the way- laughing. Most of Caleb’s brain was occupied with how to politely turn down the kind cook but a small part of him thought that Mollymauk had a wonderful laugh. “Ah, th-thank you Miss Reani, but I am-”

Caleb cut himself off as Molly came to stand next to him and pressed into his side, “-very hungry, right, Prince Caleb?” Caleb’s eyes narrowed down at the shorter man as he realized what Mollymauk was aiming for. Molly batted his eyelashes at Caleb, unabashed. Caleb would have to be blind not to notice the careful way the fey Prince had been trying to get Caleb to eat on a normal schedule. He was shown more concern for his person by the people of Rosohna than anyone he came in constant contact with back in Exandria. Of course, there was Veth and Fjord and Jester- but he was rarely allowed to see them. Caleb wasn’t sure what to do with it all, at times, but it was a nice feeling. 

Caleb smiled down into Reani’s expectant face, “ _ Ja _ , I could eat.”

Reani beamed at Caleb and pointed to a section of the counter that had a large platter with some kind of sweet, sticky buns with a white frosting on top. It smelled faintly of cinnamon. Caleb looked at Mollymauk from underneath his lashes, unsure of the proper decorum for eating something like the pastry in front of him. Prince Molly picked up a bun with his fingers and ripped it messily in half. He held out one piece of the food to Caleb with an expectant smile, white frosting dripping down his fingers and painting his claws.

Caleb felt slightly flustered as he leaned forward and took the bun from Molly. Molly watched the human’s face as he bit into the pastry, as he went from confused and blushing to delighted. If Molly was unsure of whether or not the Prince had ever eaten a cinnamon roll before, he knew now. Molly’s tail twitched behind him in delight until he heard twin soft laughs behind him. Flushing a darker purple than his skin tone, Molly turned his head to stick his tongue out at Reani and Yasha, who merely raised their eyebrows at the tiefling. 

Caleb, Molly, and Yasha ate breakfast while Reani bustled around the large space. The quiet atmosphere was unlike the constant activity he had been forced to exist in, in Zadash. Amidst the simple joy of not having to force himself to sit still and not flinch or fidget during long meals surrounded by Master Ikithon and Prince Sabian, mild apprehension filled the human. His life at Castle Rosohna felt too good to be true, and he wondered when the other shoe would drop. Caleb didn’t deserve the amount of goodness he’d been surrounded with lately, and he worried that the wonderful experiences he’d had in Xhorhas so far would come to an end.

Prince Molly made eye contact with Prince Caleb, pulling him from the dark spiral of thoughts he’d been caught up in. As Caleb looked into unbroken pools of scarlet, he thought that even if his happiness here would eventually end and he would be treated as he deserved- at least the view was lovely in the time being. 

\----------

After breakfast, Yasha walked behind the two Princes as Molly led Caleb through the front gate of Castle Rosohna. Caleb, having only directly teleported into the castle, had yet to see the sprawling metropolis that was the rest of the city from ground-level. The beautiful, harsh lines and planes that took up most of the city were continuously lit by glowing green lights. Molly cocked his head at Caleb, “How opposed are you to walking? I figured we could explore the Firmaments, first. Something tells me you’d love it there.” Caleb ignored the customary flirtatious tone Molly took as he teased the human, and simply lifted one shoulder. Molly didn’t mean anything by it- the tiefling used that tone on everyone from Yasha to Archmage Wizard Essek. 

“I am alright with walking, Prince Mollymauk.” Molly grinned and led him towards what looked like, from this distance, several broken spires of curved metal. 

As the trio approached the Firmaments district, Caleb looked around with wide eyes. Small, lightless grassy gardens scattered the district. They grew, Caleb noticed, without daylight and he was fascinated by the idea. His mind wandered as he considered the arcane properties or spells cast that would allow the grass to grow in a place plunged into almost constant darkness. The grassy gardens created beautiful little nooks and the human could see several fey occupying those spaces to read. Breathtaking, spire-like sculptures were also littered throughout the Firmaments, spaced about every two blocks. They appeared to look like pointed towers that curve towards the top, but Caleb wondered if they had any other use- other than aesthetics.

As far as Caleb could tell, there were no shopping districts in the Firmaments. The whole place looked to be either residential areas or places for reading or higher study. Caleb loved it, though he wondered why Mollymauk would bring him here. The lavender tiefling struck Caleb as the type to enjoy a busier district, full of a little more color or places to shop. 

The fey Prince’s plan was revealed as he pulled Caleb off to the side, on a little lush garden. Yasha handed him a large basket Caleb hadn’t noticed her carrying, and the tall fey wandered away. Molly plopped down on the grass without fanfare, and grinned up Caleb. He patted the ground next to him, and Caleb thought that he couldn’t deny the tiefling anything, and sat. Caleb crossed his legs and leaned his elbows on his knees as Mollymauk began digging around in his basket. He pulled out two large blankets, some wrapped food, and a book. Caleb’s eyes immediately zoned in on the book and he heard Prince Molly laugh fondly.

“I love picnics, darl- uhm, Prince Caleb, and the Firmaments are the best place to have them,” Molly’s smile turned from an overproduction of bared teeth into something softer and genuine, “so I thought you might like to read?” 

Caleb reached a hand out and gently took the book from Molly. It was a beautifully bound tome of the history of Xhorhas, and Caleb didn’t know how to properly show his appreciation for the thought Mollymauk had put into their outing so far. He settled for a quietly uttered thank you, and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. As Caleb opened the book to the first chapter, he noticed Mollymauk didn’t have anything for himself to read. Caleb closed his book and asked, “Did you not bring, um, anything for-for yourself, Prince Molly?”

Molly blushed slightly and busied himself by laying his own blanket down on the grass and crawling on top of it, mostly to avoid looking into Caleb’s brilliantly blue eyes. “I’m… not much of a reader, I’m afraid.” Caleb hummed and tilted his head at the tiefling, who continued with less bravado, “There was… well, an accident a couple years ago. It’s rather difficult to explain, but I’m not a very strong reader because of it. I… lost the ability and had to reteach myself. I can’t say that I’ve been very diligent about it.”

Caleb looked into the middle distance for a few moments, but Molly didn’t see any judgement or scorn on the human’s face. He came back to himself and cocked his head at Prince Molly, “Would you like me to read to you? Um- ah, that is… if you-”

“ _ Please _ ,” Molly leaned forward excitedly and beamed at the other Prince. Caleb hid behind a curtain of ginger hair to smother his pleased smile before clearing his throat and opening his book again. Molly flopped down on his blanket and wriggled until he was comfortable. He was spread out perpendicular to Prince Caleb, with his head resting a hair’s breadth from the human’s lap. He looked at Caleb from upside-down and motioned for him to continue teasingly. Caleb gently flicked Molly’s forehead with his finger before turning to the book and reading out loud in with his softly accented voice.

Mollymauk had to swallow down the feeling bubbling under the surface of his skin. This was not a date, Molly told himself firmly. Prince Caleb had too much in his life for Molly to put any sort of pressure like that on him. It wouldn’t be fair to Caleb, and even if Caleb wasn’t haunted by something he’d yet to talk to Molly about- who’s to say Caleb would even want Molly? Sure, Molly knew himself to be very attractive and charismatic when he wanted to be, but Caleb was so much more than that. He was shy and funny and halting in the face of too much social interaction and gorgeous and- Molly put a screeching halt to those thoughts. He had no right to Prince Caleb’s feelings, and right now the only  _ feelings  _ the human Prince had was mostly like feeling overwhelmed. 

Molly hoped that with enough time, Caleb would slowly let him in and he could help, if not heal, then shoulder the burden that seemed to be pressing down on the human. He’d just have to get Caleb to open up. 

Prince Caleb was very good at multitasking. That meant that while he was reading methodically aloud to Prince Molly, most of his thought process was focused on memorizing every line and contour of the tiefling’s face. Mollymauk was beautiful, and Caleb felt constantly swept up in his vibrant presence. Molly’s eyes were closed and his full lips were bent into a soft smile as he listened to the human read to him. Caleb knew that this outing was nothing more than Mollymauk fulfilling his duty in acting as Caleb’s guide to Xhorhas and to Rosohna, but he wondered what it would be like if Mollymauk cared more deeply for himself. He didn’t deserve it, but Caleb was selfish and wanted to live in that fantasy. Would Mollymauk put his head in Caleb’s lap and let him run his fingers through purple curls that he had started to dream about? Would Molly let him hold his hand as they walked through the Firmaments together? Caleb found an ache inside of his chest he’d never experienced before as he let himself wonder. It was a twisting, longing ache and Caleb didn’t know what to do with it.

Mollymauk, if he knew who and what Caleb was- what he  _ really  _ was- would never look at him softly again. The thought made Caleb want to cry as he looked down into his soft, purple face and read to him. Caleb knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid the truth forever, and that when it was finally revealed, his days of exploring Xhorhas and Castle Rosohna with Mollymauk would end. Prince Caleb decided to be selfish, for just a little bit longer, as he memorized Mollymauk’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kind comments and kudos! I appreciate you all so much.
> 
> Sorry for falling off schedule there, a hurricane hit my area and I lost power and internet until today! We're back to business, though!


	6. Of Simulacra and Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Caduceus walks through the gardens. Pumat Sol sells some things. Sir Fjord f̶e̶e̶l̶s̶ ̶j̶e̶a̶l̶o̶u̶s̶ is happy for Caduceus.

Prince Caduceus had also set up his own sort of routine in Castle Zadash. He rose with the dawn sun and left the castle to walk the gardens. He would find a new, beautiful place every morning to pray to the Wildmother. He never told Sir Fjord about his plans to walk through the neatly trimmed hedges and bursting flora, but the Knight always managed to fall into step with him as he exited the castle through a side door Fjord had shown him in his first week of living in Zadash. Caduceus wondered if Veth told Fjord whenever he left his rooms. Caduceus had never known a sneakier or more motherly woman, and he was always secretly very pleased when Fjord joined him.

Fjord would watch the Prince in respectful silence as he knelt in the grass and prayed to a goddess he didn’t understand. Fjord hadn’t previously believed himself to be very religious, however something about the look of pure peace on Caduceus’s face made Fjord wonder, however idly, what it would be like to believe wholeheartedly in something the way the fey Prince did. 

Fjord would ask polite questions about the Wildmother, and the firbolg would answer to the best of his ability. He could tell the half-orc was not feigning his interest out of want to be polite, and Caduceus was always happy to spread information about his goddess to willing ears. In return, Caduceus would ask Fjord questions, being as prying as he thought he would be allowed. The Prince learned that Fjord was practically raised in the gardens but that he had always dreamt of becoming a sailor, that he had felt a calling to the ocean for as long as he could remember, and he used to get in trouble as a child for sneaking off to the coast to swim or bask in the sun. Caduceus learned that his best friends in the castle were Beauregard, the Captain of the Guard, Jester, the cook, and Veth, the armorist. Caduceus learned the names of all of the unfamiliar plants that he’d never had the pleasure of seeing in Xhorhas, and he was always too distracted by them to see Fjord’s soft smile at the firbolg’s joy.

Caduceus told Fjord anecdotes about his family, and his siblings. He spoke of them so fondly, and so sadly, that Fjord’s heart ached for something he’d never know. Prince Sabian was the only person he’d grown up around and he hadn’t been a paragon of sibling love in any sense of the word. Fjord learned that Princess Clarabelle loved to catch bugs and that she was rather wild, he learned that Prince Colton was Caduceus’s older brother that he looked up to but also loved to tease, he learned that Princess Calliope was usually no-nonsense but that she had a quiet and sarcastic sense of humor that never failed to get a laugh out of everyone. 

Prince Caduceus’s wonderful mornings were always interrupted by the breakfast bell, when Fjord would walk him to the dining hall and Caduceus would have to suffer through the first meal of the day in the company of Prince Sabian and Archmage Wizard Ikithon. Sabian had not warmed in the slightest in the weeks Caduceus had lived at Castle Zadash. If anything, the human Prince had only gotten bolder in his clear dislike of the other man. After the first week, Caduceus stopped trying to bridge the obvious gap and simply ate his meals in stifled silence. Archmage Ikithon was pleasant as always, but Caduceus was too perceptive not to notice the off-ness about the wizard. 

Caduceus had asked Fjord, one afternoon as they lay in the shade of a blooming willow tree in the gardens, about the oddities of the Archmage. Fjord’s expression had darkened slightly as he carefully explained that Master Ikithon was an incredible wizard. “He’s the best at what he does, but… Prince Caleb? The human Prince for the Exchange? He was Master Ikithon’s…  _ student _ , I guess- which was weird when it was announced, because Caleb doesn’t have magical ability- but Caleb’s…” Fjord trailed off and looked into the middle distance with a troubled look on his face. Caduceus ignored the tiny spark of something unpleasant in his chest when he noticed the soft expression on the Knight’s face as he described the other Prince. “Caleb’s different, since he was taken under Master Ikithon’s wing, and not necessarily a better kind of different. I’m glad he got out, he got away, but I wished so many times that he had stayed and Sab-  _ Prince  _ Sabian had left.” Caduceus couldn’t think of anything to say to that, and he was uncomfortable with the feelings he had been silently grappling with while Fjord spoke. Caduceus had retired to his room early that day, and was so deep in his own thoughts he didn’t see the brief look of disappointment flash across Fjord’s face. 

After Prince Caduceus had an unpleasant meal in the company of Prince Sabian and Master Ikithon, he would go to his rooms and write letters to his family. He spoke ad nauseum about Sir Fjord and the time they spent together, and Caduceus knew he came across as slightly lovelorn but he also knew that (most) of his family wouldn’t give him a hard time for it. Clarabelle was the first of his siblings to write back to him, updating him on all the gossip and drama of Castle Rosohna (and also about all the bugs she’d been catching and the trouble she’d been making). According to Clarabelle, Prince Molly and Prince Caleb had been spending all their time together, Prince Caleb had helped Clarabelle catch some very tricky bugs in the gardens of Rosohna (she had preserved one large duochrome beetle that she’d slipped in the envelope for Caduceus, who now wore it as an earring in one of his long ears), and that everyone missed Caduceus very much-  _ even  _ Calliope. 

Prince Caduceus would find Sir Fjord in the training arena in the afternoon, where he’d watch the half-orc spar with the Captain of the Guard. Beauregard had given Prince Caduceus the third degree the first time he’d wandered his way over to the seating area, but the firbolg knew it came from a place of love for Fjord. He was glad there were so many people that cared about the Knight. Beau warmed up to Caduceus fairly easily and started quietly keeping a jug of iced tea next to the bucket of iced drinking water in the stands for him. Caduceus found it hard to look at Fjord as he fought sometimes, the heat forcing the half-orc to strip his breastplate and shirt off, leaving him in a thin white undershirt and dripping with sweat. 

After Fjord finished his training, he and Caduceus would sit somewhere in the gardens and spend hours talking. These were the most precious moments for Fjord, who found himself secretly starting to crave the firbolg’s presence whenever he wasn’t around. Fjord seemed unable to help himself from memorizing the soft look on Caduceus’s face as he watched a little bug crawl up his arm or a leaf fall from a nearby tree. The fey had such a wonder for the world around himself that Fjord had never seen in a person before and he felt like a ship without an anchor- dragged out to sea by the unstoppable current that was Caduceus Clay. 

Fjord had never wished for more in his life, he had always been content as a Knight of the realm. He had friends and a comfortable routine, he had his gardens that he would walk through and no one would question him, he had things he could be proud of. After three weeks of Prince Caduceus in his life, Fjord wished for the first time to be born noble. It was selfish, and childish, and ridiculous but Fjord found himself daydreaming right before he drifted off into sleep of a different life for himself. He would be able to openly express his infatuation for the fey Prince, he would be allowed the small touches his hands started to make before he reigned himself in and clenched them at his sides, he would be allowed to have Caduceus and he would be able to give himself to Caduceus. Fjord always woke up from those dreams feeling hollow, and defeated. Even if Prince Caduceus was able to pursue something with Fjord, why would he want to? Caduceus was incredible and Fjord was… just Fjord. 

Prince Caduceus deserved better than “ _ Knight Stone” _ , Fjord thought sadly as he dressed for the day. 

Caduceus had asked Fjord the previous night if he would be able to take him into town for some supplies that those at the castle could not provide. Fjord had agreed readily at the time, but now he found himself wishing he’d said no. It would have been easier to escape from his swirling thoughts in the training arena as he let Beau whale on him. Instead, he found his gaze glued to the window of the beautiful carriage that Caduceus had arrived at Zadash in as they made their way towards the main section of town. Caduceus seemed equally lost in his own thoughts, and the silence stretched the length of the ride. 

The carriage came to a stop in front of a cute storefront labeled “ _ The Invulnerable Vagrant _ ” and Fjord hopped out to open the door for the Prince. 

Caduceus wandered through the cluttered aisles of the shop with a wide, happy smile when he heard a deep and slow voice from behind him. “Sir Fjord! Respectfully, it is an absolute pleasure to see you again my friend.” Caduceus turned to see a firbolg taller than himself, with a mop of curly brown hair, embracing a startled but pleased Fjord with a smile. Caduceus’s ears twitched before he smoothed his expression out and physically shook himself slightly. Silly. He was being silly. The firbolg pulled back, hands still clasped on Fjord’s shoulders, and beamed down into the half-orc’s flushed face, “What can we do for you, Sir Fjord?” Fjord rubbed the back of his neck and jerked his head towards Caduceus.

“Pumat, this is Prince Caduceus, from Xhorhas. He’s looking for some supplies that we don’t really have at the castle. Cad, this is Pumat- well, one of the Pumats.” Caduceus managed to not visibly react in delight at Fjord’s slip into a nickname and held his hand out to the shopkeep.

Pumat Sol gripped one of Caduceus’s hands in two of his own and shook it firmly, his smile never leaving his face. “Your Highness, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Caduceus extracted himself from Pumat with an agreed sentiment and cocked his head to the side at Fjord, “ _ One _ of the Pumats?”

Fjord opened his mouth but before he could elaborate, the fey Prince’s question was answered as he heard an identical voice call out from another corner of the store, “Hey Pumat? Do we have any sending stones in the back?” Fjord grinned mischievously at Caduceus.

Pumat turned his head towards the sound, “Pumat is in the back, did you check with him?”

A third voice came from another part of the store, sounding exactly like the first two, “Yeah, we’ve got a couple, Pumat, want me to send Pumat out with them?” One of the many indistinguishable voices called out an affirmative, and Caduceus watched as another Pumat Sol (a different Pumat Sol from the one standing in front of him, but a Pumat Sol all the same) walked out from a room carrying a small box in one of his hands. He winked at Caduceus, who had a wide-eyed look of confusion on his face. 

The Pumat Sol with Fjord and Caduceus smiled, “I know that can get a little confusing. I’m Pumat Prime, and those Pumats are my simulacra. They usually run the shop for me while I focus on enchanting our wares here, but Fjord is an old friend.” Caduceus kept his smile on his face through sheer force of will while mentally chiding himself. Of course Fjord had friends, especially a tall firbolg whose clothes fit properly and smiled very nicely. Fjord deserved a lot of handsome friends like Pumat Sol who hugged him and made him blush. His ears twitched again and Caduceus was too busy trying to keep his emotions in check that he missed the way Fjord’s eye caught the movement.

Fjord busied himself by making small talk at the counter with Pumat Prime while Prince Caduceus gathered items he needed with another Pumat. Vandran had always told Fjord how well the half-orc was able to make himself charming to others, how naturally he could assimilate himself into a conversation. It had done him a world of good when working as a shield bearer- it helped him get into the right spaces and be Knighted as quickly as he could. Fjord didn’t feel the need to put on a pretense for Pumat, though, as the other firbolg had always been very genuinely kind to him and they’d formed a strange sort of friendship over the years. 

Pumat could tell the Knight was distracted as his eyes kept straying over towards where Caduceus was bent over a display case of enchanted jewelry. He seemed particularly interested in a pendant with a darkened ivory spiral and a roughly-sculpted heart. Fjord’s attention snapped back to his friend as Pumat chuckled under his breath, the sound deep and knowing. The tips of Fjord’s ears turned a darker, ruddy green as he fought not to blush. “ _ Quiet _ ,” Fjord hissed under his breath as he glanced back at his fey Prince, who was wholly absorbed in the task of buying things (much to the delight of the Pumat helping him). This just seemed to amuse Pumat Prime further.

“Respectfully, Sir Fjord, you are not exactly what I would call… subtle.  _ Respectfully _ .” 

Fjord kicked Pumat Prime’s foot without any real heat behind it, “Shh, you know how good his hearing can be.” Fjord was definitely not looking anywhere but Pumat’s warm, understanding eyes and rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, Sir Fjord, he can’t hear us. Besides, I think he might be… amenable to your affection for him.” Pumat winked at Fjord and lumbered away as Caduceus walked up to him, arms laden with a variety of goods and a large smile. Fjord couldn’t help but notice that the smile was rather fragile and thin, as if he were upset but trying to hide it. Fjord’s hands twitched at his sides as he forced himself not to reach out to the firbolg and comfort him. It wasn’t Fjord’s place, anyway. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Got everything?” Fjord did raise an eyebrow at all of the purchases Prince Caduceus made. Caduceus blushed slightly and nodded his head at Fjord. Prince Caduceus overpaid a grinning Pumat and they started back toward the carriage, Fjord carrying all of Caduceus’s things- much to the protestation of the fey Prince.

Once they were settled into the carriage and it was rumbling its way back to Castle Zadash, Fjord searched Prince Caduceus’s face as they sat in somewhat stilted silence. “Is- is everything alright, my Prince?” Caduceus jumped slightly and flushed pink. His ears flapped in a way that Fjord had memorized to mean he was pleased, but Fjord wasn’t sure about what. The firbolg was so hard to read and he found that he could spend the rest of his days studying Caduceus and only scratch the surface of him. Not that Fjord would have ever complained about such a task, if it were ever possible. 

Caduceus coughed and shifted in his seat as he turned his head to fully look at the Knight, “I’m alright, Sir Fjord. Pumat Sol was very nice. That is, they all were very nice.”

Fjord chuckled at Caduceus’s assessment of the other firbolg and his simulacra, “Pumat’s always been like that. It can be a little overwhelming at first, I’m sorry. I should have warned you.”

Caduceus gave Fjord a small smile, “You have nothing to apologize for, Sir Fjord.” He was quiet for a moment. “Are you two… very close?”   
  


Fjord looked into the middle distance with a fond expression on his face that made Caduceus’s stomach clench, “He’s a good friend. He’s super weird, but he’s always been kind to me and I have not been extended that courtesy by most people.” Fjord couldn’t place the look on Caduceus’s face but it made him a little sad. 

They were almost back to the castle before the Prince spoke again. “Are you very fond of Mister Pumat?” The question was asked haltingly, as if the firbolg was afraid of Fjord’s answer. Fjord couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out why Caduceus was so interested in Pumat unless- Fjord felt a distinct pain in his chest. Caduceus must be trying to figure out if Pumat was available. It made sense, they were both firbolgs and while Caduceus was fey, Pumat would be able to understand the Prince better than… better than Fjord could. Fjord swallowed down the rise of jealousy in the back of his throat and plastered on a fake smile.

“I’m fond of him, he’s a good  _ friend _ ,” Fjord prayed to any god or goddess that Caduceus would understand his emphasis on the word ‘friend.’ A soft, warm wind wafted through the open window of the carriage and it smelled faintly of sea salt, which was strange as they weren’t quite near enough to the ocean to be able to smell it. Caduceus tilted his head at Fjord and his pink eyes seemed to x-ray him as a slow, genuine smile grew across the Prince’s handsome face. Caduceus nodded, more to himself than to the Knight, and seemed incredibly pleased with himself. Fjord knew that must be because he understood that the Prince would be free to pursue something with the shopkeep, as taboo as it would have been.

“So,  _ you  _ are not in a romantic relationship with him?” The way Prince Caduceus emphasized Fjord gave him pause.

“I’m not… I’m not in a romantic relationship with anyone?”

Caduceus smirked at Fjord and murmured, “Was that a statement or a question, my Knight?”

Hearing Caduceus claim him, even if he was obvious joking, ruined any thought process Fjord had. “Uhh… yeah. Sure.” Caduceus chuckled under his breath, as they were both aware he hadn’t asked a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. He nudged Fjord’s foot with his own as he turned back to look out the window and gave Fjord a moment to catch his breath.

Fjord was so screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably say this every time, but thank you all for your wonderful comments and kudos. <3


	7. Of Questions and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Caduceus asks some friends for advice. Beauregard takes part in an arm-wrestling match. Veth comes to a realization.

Prince Caduceus Clay, fey Prince formerly of Rosohna, was so screwed. He was completely, utterly, unequivocally screwed. He laid in his large, ornate bed in his sleeping chambers in Castle Zadash, bemoaning how screwed he was. Caduceus wished for his family because he knew they would give him the advice he so desperately craved while being blunt to the point of rudeness. Cad rolled onto his back to look up at the beautifully painted sky on the ceiling of his room and wondered if there was anyone in Zadash that wouldn’t try and placate him if he were to come to them with questions and doubts. 

Caduceus first thought of Pumat Sol, but he still wasn’t entirely sure that the other firbolg didn’t have some deeper relationship with the object of his obsession that Fjord had elected to not tell him about. His gut instinct and observations from yesterday’s carriage ride back to the castle told him that Fjord had been very honest with him about the Knight’s lack of romantic attachment, but Caduceus was filled with doubts that he normally didn’t have. Caduceus had always been the shoulder to cry on in Rosohna for his friends, he had always been so sure of himself in his interactions with the political figureheads he encountered, but now Caduceus felt entirely out of his depth. Hence, he was screwed. 

The Prince’s mind wandered towards his other friends he’d made at Castle Rosohna, Beauregard the Captain of the Guard and Veth the Armorist and Jester the Cook. Something told him that if he came to any of the three for advice, he wouldn’t receive platitudes but he would get honest advice with no regard to his own personal feelings. 

His mind made up, Caduceus clambered out of bed and bathed quickly. He chose a simple, flowy outfit in pale pinks and seafoam greens before walking the familiar path towards the kitchens. Cad figured that if he went to the training grounds, first, he would most likely encounter Fjord and while he always longed for the company of the Knight, having him present for the conversation he was hoping to have would be… difficult.

Caduceus knocked gently on the side door of the kitchens, a simple wooden door with no ornaments or flair, and padded softly inside. He was always almost immediately overwhelmed whenever he entered the kitchens, as Jester Lavorre the head cook, had painted and decorated the entire room to be an absolutely mind-numbing extravagant affair. Every wall was painted with a different scene of Exandria, from coastal shores to deep and beautiful forests, Jester’s skill rendered the paintings almost lifelike. Caduceus felt as if he could reach out and pluck a pink mallow bloom from a nearby bush. Between the walls and the small crystals lighting up the walls that resembled small fairy lights, the entire kitchen felt more welcoming than most of the rest of the castle. Caduceus thought that if he ever had a home of his own, he would want Jester to decorate it.

The cook was currently pounding at a sweet-smelling dough on a nearby counter with an endearing amount of flour smeared across her cheek and all over her dress and apron. She looked up at Prince Caduceus and beamed at him. “Caduceus! Oh, my  _ gods _ , I didn’t know you were  _ coming  _ or I  _ totally  _ would’ve made you, like, some  _ cupcakes  _ or  _ something _ !” Jester spoke mainly in italics and with her hands, which at this moment meant she left a trail of white power in the air as she gesticulated.

Caduceus smiled and shook his head slightly, “I don’t want to trouble you, Miss Jester. I was just hoping to ask for your advice on something. Is Miss Veth or Miss Beauregard around, as well?”

Jester bounced up and down on the balls of her feet as she twisted the dough into intricate shapes. Most of them looked like flowers, although one or two looked suspiciously phallic in appearance. Caduceus rolled his lips inward to hide his smile. He had been present for meals where Prince Sabian had come across an inappropriately shaped roll or cut of meat, and the resulting temper tantrum had been worth suffering through another meal with the man. Jester caught Caduceus’s eye and winked. “Veth and Beau are having an  _ arm-wrestling match _ in the storage room because  _ Beau  _ said that her muscles were  _ totally bigger _ than  _ Veth’s  _ even though Veth is, like, _ way smaller  _ than Beau  _ anyway  _ so, of course, her muscles would be bigger but then  _ Veth  _ took that as a  _ challenge  _ and she said  _ ‘I will take you down’  _ and then she _ launched herself _ at Beau’s back which was  _ really  _ funny  _ actually  _ and-” Jester also had a tendency to speak in run-on sentences that she wielded like weapons. Caduceus held up a hand to stall the flow of words and she cut herself off with a knowing grin. Jester was much more perceptive than she let on. “Do you want to sit and I can get them? You said you wanted to ask us something?” 

At the Prince’s, Jester disappeared into the small storage room next to the kitchen with a flick of her tail. A few moments later, a sweaty looking Beau and a triumphant looking Veth followed behind Jester into the main area of the kitchens. Caduceus was idly tracing shapes into the leftover flour on the counter as he looked up and smiled at his friends. Beau plopped down next to the firbolg and rested her arms on the counter, “What’s up, dude- uh, I mean… Your Highness…?”

Caduceus chuckled under his breath, “‘Dude’ is perfectly fine, Miss Beauregard. I am as uncomfortable with the formalities as you are.” Beau relaxed her shoulders with a muttered  _ ‘thank fuck’ _ .

Veth clambered up onto a stool opposite Caduceus and Beau, “Jester said you wanted to talk to us? Is everything all right, Caduceus?”

Caduceus was quiet for a moment as he continued to fidget a little uncomfortably. “I did not have the luxury of living an… adventurous life in Xhorhas. I am unfamiliar with many social intricacies here and I find myself at a little bit of a loss with a situation I am in and…” Caduceus shrugged helplessly, “I am not used to feeling like that. I was wondering if you three would be able to shed some light on some observations I’ve had for me.”

Beau looked at Caduceus blankly for a second before she blurted out, “You want relationship advice from us?” Beau didn’t really need a verbal answer from the fey Prince, as the bright pink color he turned was enough of a response. She opened her mouth but whatever she was about to say was drowned out by Jester’s enthusiastic squeal.

“Oh. My.  _ Gods _ !  _ Caduceus _ ! This is, like, _ so romantic _ ! You’re in  _ love  _ with  _ Fjord- _ ” Caduceus sputtered at that, “-and you want our help to tell him?!” 

Caduceus turned pleading pink eyes onto Veth, who he determined was the only sane of his three friends. Veth’s smile was slowly crawling across her face as she looked utterly delighted. “I don’t know what you see in him, of course, but is that what you were going to talk to us about? Fjord?”

Caduceus dropped his head into his hands, “I am unversed in anything to do with romantic relationships but I find myself enamored with him- and completely at a loss with what to do about it.” Jester made another inhuman noise of glee and clapped her hands together. Veth leaned out of the way and coughed pointedly at the cloud of flour the action created. 

“Ok, ok, ok- so Fjord is, like, _ kind of  _ self-deprecating and stuff because he had a lot of  _ shitty people  _ in his life and stuff so he  _ definitely  _ doesn’t understand right now that you  _ like him _ but if you were, like,  _ super obvious  _ and stuff like maybe if you took him on a  _ date  _ he would get it!” Beau nodded her head at Jester’s animated words. 

Veth tapped her chin with a finger, “Well, there’s always the ball, right?”

Caduceus blinked as he vaguely remembered Prince Sabian discussing the royal ball that was being thrown in four weeks’ time to celebrate the success of the Exchange. The royals from Rosohna were being invited, and Caduceus remembered how excited he was to see Mollymauk again. The event had been pushed from his mind as he focused mainly on the tangled mass of feelings he’d been working through the past few weeks. Caduceus turned to look at the armorist, “Should I… ask him to the ball, then?”

Beau wrinkled her nose, “He’d say yes, but only out of, like, duty to you or something. He wouldn’t think you were asking him because you want to bone-”

Jester slapped a hand over Beau’s mouth and spoke loudly over her muffled protests, “So you need to take him on another date  _ first _ ! So that way Fjord can, like, start to think that you _ like him  _ maybe and then he will  _ totally  _ believe you when you tell him you’re  _ in love with him _ . Totally.”

Caduceus winced a little, “I’ve never been in love before. Is that what this is?”

Veth looked a little tortured as she asked, “Does it hurt a lot?” Caduceus nodded his head as he looked at the shapes he’d idly traced into the flour. They were little hearts and a smile with tusks. Veth’s voice was sad when she said, “Then it’s probably love. I’m sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments and kudos, they sustain me. Shorter chapter today, but I promise I'll make it up to you.


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